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Exhibits curator vs museum curator

The differences between exhibits curators and museum curators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an exhibits curator and a museum curator. Additionally, an exhibits curator has an average salary of $48,658, which is higher than the $44,309 average annual salary of a museum curator.

The top three skills for an exhibits curator include curate, press releases and exhibit design. The most important skills for a museum curator are collections management, art collections, and museum exhibits.

Exhibits curator vs museum curator overview

Exhibits CuratorMuseum Curator
Yearly salary$48,658$44,309
Hourly rate$23.39$21.30
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs268413
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4444
Years of experience66

Exhibits curator vs museum curator salary

Exhibits curators and museum curators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Exhibits CuratorMuseum Curator
Average salary$48,658$44,309
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $94,000Between $25,000 And $77,000
Highest paying CityVirginia Beach, VAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyThe University of ChicagoSmithsonian Institution
Best paying industry--

Differences between exhibits curator and museum curator education

There are a few differences between an exhibits curator and a museum curator in terms of educational background:

Exhibits CuratorMuseum Curator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorFine ArtsHistory
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Exhibits curator vs museum curator demographics

Here are the differences between exhibits curators' and museum curators' demographics:

Exhibits CuratorMuseum Curator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 34.4% Female, 65.6%Male, 39.9% Female, 60.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between exhibits curator and museum curator duties and responsibilities

Exhibits curator example responsibilities.

  • Manage visual resource center, including acquisition, cataloging, budget management and other relevant issues.
  • Compile a catalogue of artist biographies for guests to reference.
  • Assist in preparing zoo for AZA re-accreditation: create and clean exhibits as well as grounds keeping and diet preparation.
  • Design and implement comprehensive training programs focusing on artifact preservation and cleaning base on complete training course taken at Smithsonian.
  • Fashion and coordinate historical costumes for first person interpretation

Museum curator example responsibilities.

  • Review and edit listing photography and source photographers in various markets to capture unique accommodations and cover special assignments worldwide.
  • Fashion and coordinate historical costumes for first person interpretation

Exhibits curator vs museum curator skills

Common exhibits curator skills
  • Curate, 26%
  • Press Releases, 15%
  • Exhibit Design, 14%
  • Condition Reports, 10%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • Graphic Design, 8%
Common museum curator skills
  • Collections Management, 29%
  • Art Collections, 14%
  • Museum Exhibits, 12%
  • Fine Arts, 11%
  • Educational Programs, 9%
  • Cataloging, 6%

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